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Time and place being the one mystery that stumps me without fail, I must label this story as having taken place, “some years ago.” I can’t even remember where I came across the news clipping, although my guess would be an edition of The Sporting News from the mid-70’s. The puzzle in question dates back to that time period, so I feel safe in placing our crime scene somewhere in that timeline.

You’ll see an image of the clipping below. I had the original for a number of years, but it was lost over time. It may in fact be in that elusive shoebox that holds my copy of the January 1976 Reader’s Digest, the home of my introduction to the mystery of Oak Island. The clipping is a challenging riddle, built from a baseball boxscore; I know not the writer who composed the questions… neither do I possess a copy of the official solution.

What you will find below is the riddle itself, along with links to my best effort to discern the correct answer for each question. Feel free to compare you solution to mine as you go. And… good luck!

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(Click on the above image for a larger version)

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Question #1 – “Who was the last Pittsburgh batter?” is best answered in tandem with #9, “Who scored the winning run and who knocked him in?” I’ve put them together – LINK

Question #2 – Name the six Pirates who walked. – LINK

Question #3 – Name the two Mets who scored in the first inning. – LINK

Question #4 – During which inning did Mazilli get his RBI? – LINK

Question #5 – How many men batted in the Mets’ 10th? – LINK

Question #6 – In which inning did Kranepool pinch hit? – LINK

Question #7 – In which inning did Boisclair pinch hit? – LINK

Question #8 – Who scored the first run in the Pirates’ 10th? – LINK

Question #9 – Who scored the winning run and who knocked him in? – LINK

Question #10 – Who scored in the Pittsburgh 8th? – LINK

Question #11 – Who scored in the Pittsburgh 5th and who knocked him in? – LINK

Question #12 – Name the two players who scored in the Pittsburgh 6th. – LINK

Question #13 – Who made the last out in the Mets’ 7th? – LINK

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